Friday, September 27, 2013

Song Of The Week: The Masters Apprentices - Hot Gully Wind

Day five of crispy Aussie beat goodness.

The Masters Apprentices hailed from the South Australia city of Adelaide. Like many other bands in their day, they would ultimately relocate to Melbourne to be where the action is. The Masters were far more than your typical one-hit wonder. They put out single after single of high quality work for Astor Records: Undecided, Buried & Dead, Elevator Driver, War Or Hands of Time. And they put out this one, Hot Gully Wind, which appeared on their excellent 1967 debut album.

Hot Gully Wind has one of those bitchin' bass lines that always puts me in a good groove. It also has some rather curious lyrics that I don't think I have ever quite figured out.

My baby's been and gone like a hot gully wind
Leaving' on a noon train with her brother Jim
Here I stand alone like a backwards young tree
Hanging out my branches trying to dry my brown leaves

And then it has that guitar riff that owes a lot to a Chuck Berry lead riff slowed down and put over a a nice stutter-rhythm. It's a real gem.

The Masters, who are my fave Aussie band but have my least favorite name of any Aussie band, were comprised of Jim Keays on vocals, Mick Bower on rhythm guitar, Rick Morrison on Lead, Gavin Webb on bass and Brian Vaughton on drums.